Open since 2008, The Opposite House, designed by renowned Japanese architect, Kengo Kuma, is located in the village of Sanlitun, a smart new open-plan hotel, shopping, dining and entertainment nexus developed by the Hong Kong based international property developer, Swire Properties. The hotel is located just east of the NE corner of the rectangle formed by the 2nd Ring Road that encircles the heart of Beijing, with the Forbidden City at its center.

Directly east of Sanlitun Road (across the street from The Opposite House) – and on both sides of the east-west oriented Dongzhimen Outer Street – lies a large embassy district (yes, it is tempting to believe that the hotel got its name from lying opposite this huge embassy quarter). The hotel lies about 10 km from the Forbidden City, about 15 km from Beijing Central Railway Station, and about 25 km from Beijing Capital International Airport (PEK).

The Opposite House has 99 guestrooms to choose from – including 9 spacious suites (remember the hotel's relatively close proximity to the imperial Forbidden City, and recall that the number 9 was reserved for the emperor) – that are among the largest hotel rooms in Beijing (the majority of the rooms each measure over 70 sqm). All are elegantly simple, with natural wood floors and with subtle touches of distinctly Chinese style blended into the otherwise modern décor.

The leisure facilities at the Opposite House, reflecting the no-nonsense, on-the-go lifestyle of the active tourist, include a fitness center with the latest in modern workout equipment, and with an adjacent 22-meter-long indoor stainless steel swimming pool. The essentials – covered!

Typical of the hotels of Beijing, they all seem to be atypical! That is, each hotel seems to have its own unique focus, for lack of a better word. Some specialize in – besides the usual accommodations as well as a spa and a fitness center – conferences halls, while others focus on a diverse array of restaurants; the Opposite House focuses on a little bit of everything, all of it very, very chic: two swank restaurants, a café, a cocktail bar and a mini nightclub (aka "mini-club") hosted by DJ's – and, in lieu of conference halls, the hotel offers discreetly private dining quarters – some large, others small – for VIP arrangements.

The Village Café – a 24/7 casual café featuring popular food & drink from around the world ("The World is a Global Village" – Marshall McLuhan).

The Bei – an Oriental restaurant with flair serving traditional northern Asian (northern Chinese, Korean and Japanese... note that "bei" is Chinese for "northern") cuisine, but with a distinctively untraditional, Western-inspired twist.

The Mesh – a contemporary lounge bar offering snacks, highly original, chicly-served cocktails, champagne by the glass, and an international assortment of wines.

The Punk – a "mini-club" serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, with pumping, rhythmic dance music hosted by local and international DJs – the next-best thing to a rave!

The VIP Dining Quarters – Note that the private, 'behind closed doors' VIP dining quarters, with own service teams, also offer live entertainment on request.

The Opposite House strives to be uniquely purposeful in all its offerings... and has obviously succeeded! Everything about the hotel – from the layout of the individual rooms to the layout of the corridors, the restaurants, the bars & cafés, as well as the layout of all of the hotel's various other facilities – exudes "chic", i.e., is simple yet elegant.